Queen Camilla praised journalists “risking their lives” reporting from the Middle East and Ukraine at the Foreign Press Association annual award ceremony.
The Queen, who was made an honorary member, gave a keynote speech at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane hotel for the 135th anniversary of the FPA and praised journalists, photographers and their team for risking their lives to report “in these difficult times.”
She said: "It is a huge pleasure to be here with you this evening to celebrate the 135th anniversary of the Foreign Press Association and to reflect on your many achievements as the world’s oldest and biggest association of foreign journalists.
“But I cannot begin without also reflecting that as we gather, journalists, photographers and their support teams are even now risking their lives.
“We think particularly of those reporting from Ukraine and the Middle East in these most difficult of times.”
In her speech she said female journalists were the “bravest reporters of all” remembering several “trailblazers” like Marie Colvin and Daphne Caruana Galizia, who were both tragically killed in the line of their work.
“From trailblazers like Martha Gelhorn and Christiane Amanpour, to those such as Marie Colvin and Daphne Caruana Galizia, who have so tragically paid with their lives, their courage was matched only by their conviction that the truth matters."
The queen hailed the FPA’s efforts to “protect and promote” women who are “increasingly targeted” on social media in a digital age where disinformation is easily accessible .
Research by the International Centre for Journalists and the University of Sheffield in 2022, showed online violence against female journalists is becoming an increasing issue. Of the 1000 women surveyed from 15 countries, they found the majority had suffered from some form of online abuse including death threats and threats of sexual violence.
The research also highlighted the murder of Mexican journalist María Elena Ferral, who faced years of digital harassment before her death.
Addressing the FPA’s strength, the Queen said: “You have the ability to break the corrosive silence that frequently surrounds abuse. You bring into the open the voices of victims, you break taboos, you shine a light on these heinous crimes and you guide the public on what they can do to help.”
The Queen’s keynote speech comes during a tumultuous and dangerous time for journalists reporting from conflict zones, particularly in the Israel-Hamas aggression.
The CPJ reported that 50 journalists have been killed since the start of October 7. The most recent is a female journalist, Alaa Taher Al-Hassanat, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in the el-Bureij Refugee Camp in central Gaza along with members of her family.
Al-Hassanat wrote an article in 2015 about the 2014 war on Gaza adding that “our role as journalists is now more important than ever.”
A few female journalists like Bisan Owda and Plestia Alaqad continue to report from the front lines of Israel’s aggression on Gaza which has now claimed 13,517 lives.
